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Original poster

White eye in photo

30 replies

rebl · 01/01/2011 19:03

I took a photo of my son today and amazingly its the 1st over the whole holiday period where he's had red eye in it. Thing is his left eye is red and the right eye is white. I'm sure I've seen something somewhere about this and you should go to a dr but I might be imagining it. I'm too scared to google though because I'm sure what I read/saw wasn't nice. Please can someone advise. I'll see if I can get the photo on my profile.

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coogar · 01/01/2011 19:08

I can remember fretting about this when my ds2 was little. My mum pointed out to me he only got 'red eye' in one eye. It was in a batch of photos taken at the same time over a 2 week holiday. I had read an article where a child had a brain tumour and it was discovered by an optician. Not sure if the 'red eye' was significant in it though ... is that what you read? Pop him down to the GP if you're worried, they'll put your mind at rest Smile

Original poster
rebl · 01/01/2011 19:11

Managed to get a photo on.

coogar that might be it but I can't remember tbh. I don't want to look like a fool at the GP though if its nothing and I've made it up or it was some photography problem!

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coogar · 01/01/2011 19:12

sorry, I meant take him to an Opthamologist for a check up .....

veritythebrave · 01/01/2011 19:14

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silverfrog · 01/01/2011 19:14

I'd go to an optician, rather than a gp (gp will only refer on, if necessary, as not a specialist)

white eye is uspposed to always b investigated, as it could be serious.

you've reminded me that dd2 had this a lot when small, and I need to get ehr seen too, so thank you.

I think I was advised to take along the photos which had concerned me too, to show optician.

, but obviously am no expert, that it could be somehting as simple as a squint - light reflecting off at a differnet angle - but please, don't take my word for it. general advice is to always check out white eye>

veritythebrave · 01/01/2011 19:16

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veritythebrave · 01/01/2011 19:21

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plumviolet · 01/01/2011 19:24

Please bring him to the doctor.

I don't want to scare you but this is a classic sign of a retinal blastoma - or a cancerous tumour in the back of the eye. It can be cured if caught early but can also spread quickly. My mum's sister died as a child, she was 2 so I am horribly aware of it. I check my kids all the time. it is better to be safe and it is only a quick visit for them to tell you he is ok and to rule it out. They will not think you are silly all.

pinkorkid · 01/01/2011 19:26

Hi rebl,

I'm not an expert but I think you are right it can be a symptom of retinoblastoma but can also be perfectly innocent chance reflection of the flash off the optic nerve at a particular angle. I would hate to worry you and hope it's the latter but in your position I would make a doctor's appointment to get it checked to be on the safe side. Also to say if it does turn out to be retinoblastoma, it is readily treatable. (A contemporary of my son's at playgroup stage had this but made full recovery.)

Hope you get good news.

veritythebrave · 01/01/2011 19:30

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Blackletterday · 01/01/2011 19:44

Ds2 had this, we took him to an opticians who the told us to go to the gp, who refered us to the opthalmology clinic.

I was a bit scared, but turned out fine, they dilated his pupils and had a good look but didn't see anything. Turns out he is longsighted though, not sure how they can tell this.

IME I would bypass the opticians and pop to the gp.

Original poster
rebl · 01/01/2011 20:36

Thank you. I've been on the website now and I'll get him to either the GP or optician on Tuesday (whoever will see him basically). I will try and take the photos like that website suggests tomorrow evening with our old camera because that doesn't have fancy flash settings and uses the autoflash more readily. But its at home at the moment and we're not.

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LollipopViolet · 01/01/2011 21:00

Agree about getting checked out. A friend at uni has a sister who had retinoblastoma, and sadly lost her eye to it, so even if it is a chance reflection, better to get it checked and be certain.

lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 01/01/2011 22:04

Ok we had this a few years back with dd2. We were advised to take a few more photos, straight on with an older camera with flash (but no red eye reducation) in a dim room.
We did this and got more of the same. We were reffered off to hospital and seen within a week. They did a though exam and she has a rugby shaped eye which meant the light was reflexing from a different place on that eye, causing white refection.
She is fine but still under the hospital to be safe.
My friends son wasnt so lucky but our other friend spied white eye in a photo when he was 6 months old and he did have eye cancer. He is now 7 years old and has a glass eye but doing well.

Please do get it checked but it is more likely to be nothing too serious, but better to be safe.

Original poster
rebl · 02/01/2011 19:47

I've tried taking more photos tonight but ds wasn't playing ball and I only managed to get 2 face on photos which both look fine in but the website says you need different angles, not face on.

I'm going mad with worry not helped by the fact that its a bank holiday tomorrow and so I can't get him to a dr until Tuesday at the earliest. We're already worried sick about these calcium deposits that have been found in his brain and we're seeing the paed on Thursday about that. I will also mention this and take the photo but everything I've read says he needs to see an opthalmologist.

I'm so worried about ds. I've got tummy ache all the time and I'm sure its the worry.

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ArthurPewty · 02/01/2011 21:56

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ArthurPewty · 02/01/2011 21:58

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Original poster
rebl · 02/01/2011 22:06

LeonieDelt Both Birmingham and Moorfields are flipping hours away Sad. Do you think I could go to somewhere like Alder Hey or Manchester Childrens?

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ArthurPewty · 02/01/2011 22:52

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Original poster
rebl · 02/01/2011 23:01

Not that I can find on their websites. They have A&E but not eye casualty dept. Its not really A&E I don't think.

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FrostyTheCrunchyFrog · 02/01/2011 23:03

DS1 always has this, but his eyes are fine (well, long sighted, slightly lazy eye and currently being investigated for ocular albinism, but everything is minor!) He's been checked by two opticians and is seeing an opthamologist at the end of the month, but that is because of his extreme photosensitivty rather than anything sinister x (There are pics on my profile, but I don't think there are any with red/ white eye)

lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 02/01/2011 23:44

Machester royal have eye clinic a&e

Original poster
rebl · 03/01/2011 11:04

Lisad thank you.
I've found an optician that is open today and have got him into there at lunchtime. I'll see what they say and if necessary we'll then go over to Manchester Royal.

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trace2 · 03/01/2011 13:32

just seen this my dd had it last summer she is 3 half, i rang gp they didn't know what to do my dd is under hospital for her eyes so i rang them, they where no clinics for weeks but pushed her as they said it as be checked quickly in case its retinal blastoma or some other things what need seeing too, well anyway dd was she as a sqint which can make white eye in pics but we have been told dd is now going to be checked every 6 months.

hope you news is good news?

lisad123isasnuttyasaboxoffrogs · 03/01/2011 15:34

How did it go?